Continuing with the updates to the series comes this edition on the Fiat G.50 and Caudron C.714. The Suomen Ilvavoimein Historia series has become a real boon to modelers and aviation enthusiasts over the years. Apparently, the Finns photographed everything during the war years and we are the beneficiaries of this thoroughness. Within its 96 pages, you'll find a collection of the clearest and crispest period photographs that you'll ever see of some very remarkable aircraft.

The Finns were casting about for aircraft from a wide variety of sources during the late 1930s and early 1940s in their attempts to build up a viable force against their long antagonists, the Soviets. They bought aircraft from the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy to name a few. These G.50 fighters arrived in time to take part in the closing stages of the Winter War. Though initially painted in Italian colors, they were eventually cycled through the workshops to receive the standard Finnish AF color scheme. Eventually, the last of them were retired in 1946, having become woefully obsolete by that time.

What really surprised me while looking through these images, was how much the paint on these planes seemed to deteriorate. There are a number of images of some rather ratty looking aircraft, with large areas of the airframe down to bare metal or at least to the undercoat.

Also covered is the Caudron C.714 that were gifted to Finland by France just before France's capitulation in mid-1940. Only four aircraft actually made it to Finland with two of them having undercarriage failure upon arrival and only two actually being accepted. These aircraft were tested and found to be unsuitable. As a result, they were struck from charge within a few weeks of arrival and spent their careers in technical schools.

In common with most of the other editions, this one is basically in Finnish with dual language captions to the photographs. An English summary is at the rear of the book and comprises a mere two pages. Either Finnish takes up a lot more space than English, the font for the summary is a lot smaller or there is information not translated. I do wish that these books had a dual write-up as was the case with their Camouflage book, but perhaps these updates do not permit that sort of treatment.

Also provided is a brief description of the history of each aircraft and there are excellent color profiles on the books covers.

Regardless, it will be difficult to find a better book on the subject and if your interests are in the Finnish Air Force or in the Fiat G.50, then this is a book that needs to be in your library.

November 2004

Review book courtesy of  Kari Stenman Publishing, where you can order your copy of this and several other superb books on the Finnish AF.

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